Tricks and Treats
by Five-O Fanatics
Summary: A series of ficlets and snapshots, some scary and dark, while others are funny, for your Halloween reading pleasure.
1. Chapter 1

_**A.N. **__Thanks to "Tanith2011" for beta reading this. Hawaii Five-O belongs to CBS. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

**Overtime **

_by honu59_

The hour was late and the county morgue was deserted save for one person. Doc Bergman was bone weary. He had been on his feet for hours and could barely keep his eyes open. _Might be a good idea to save this for tomorrow,_ he thought. But then McGarrett needed answers now, if not sooner. _Damned stubborn, impatient…_

He prepared his work area with the instruments he needed: scalpels, bone saw, rib spreader, stainless steel bowls of various sizes, towels. Then he pulled his green scrub cap over his thick greying hair and a pair of latex gloves onto his stiff hands. He stretched his tired body one last time, wincing as a muscle cramp on the left side of his lower back reminded him of his age.

There was an eerie silence in the room. Anyone else would have found the setting spooky, but Bergman had been performing autopsies for the past thirty years or so; this was just the next one. He grasped the corner of the green sheet draped over the body then hesitated, suddenly short of breath and dizzy. He lowered his head, slowly turned it from side to side then inhaled deeply and waited for the feeling to pass.

His head clear once again, Doc pulled back the sheet revealing a male Caucasian, approximately thirty-five years old, five feet seven inches tall, about 165 pounds, with short, sandy blonde hair tightly curled – _Danny!_

Bergman gasped and turned deathly pale and wide-eyed with shock. He grabbed the examination table to steady himself. _Oh God, Danny, what happened? _Terrible grief hit the old coroner suddenly and completely with all the force of a tsunami. He turned away from the table as tears invaded his eyes and spilled down his lined face. Countless questions overflowed his mind. _Does Steve know? Why didn't he say anything_? _If he doesn't know, how am I going to break it to him?_ _Danny is…was…Steve's closest friend!_

It took a good fifteen minutes for Bergman to pull himself together enough to even think about performing the task that his profession demanded. He had always been fond of the eager young detective who had been a friend and, at times, his patient. With a heavy heart, he visually inspected the body, noting the scar on the upper right chest, just below the clavicle, where he had removed William Shem's bullet a couple of years earlier. Below the navel on the left side was a larger scar, the remnant of damage done by John Auston's bullet.

With a trembling hand, he lifted the scalpel to make the first incision, starting at the base of the adam's apple. As blade touched flesh, the silence was shattered by a heart-wrenching, ear-piercing scream. The young man's bright blue eyes snapped open in terror and his hands shot up from the table, grabbing Doc's arm tightly and pushing it away. Bergman's own screams blended with those of the living corpse.

_Wake up, dear; you're having a bad dream…_

Muffled, as if from far away, Bergman thought he heard his wife's voice. Gradually he climbed out of multiple layers of deep sleep and found himself slouched in a comfortable wicker chair on the lanai of his own beach house, dressed in his favorite old aloha shirt, surrounded by the scents of flowers and the cool ocean breeze, looking up into his wife's concerned face.

"That was one humdinger!" Doc grumbled, rubbing his hand over his face and through his thick wavy hair. "Guess I really needed this vacation." Doc relaxed, smiled at his wife and reached up, touching her face. "Thanks, dear. Come on; let's go take a long walk on the beach."

The middle-aged couple walked hand in hand on the quiet beach, watching the waves breaking on the white sand, a very peaceful scene. Except that Doc had an overwhelming urge to phone the office. Some people have a hard time going on vacation.

**Pau**


	2. Chapter 2

_Hawaii Five-O belongs to CBS. No copyright infringement is intended. This short story is inspired by a scene from the season 1 episode "Eyes of the Dragon" and a Hogan's Heroes writers challenge._

**THE SHOT**

_By jodm_

It wasn't anybody's idea of "Trick or Treat" and definitely not Steve McGarrett's. _More trick than treat, _ the tall, dark-haired detective ruminated as he studied the sign requiring all state employees to get their annual flu shots. Governor Jameson had specifically ordered McGarrett to make sure everyone in his department saw Doc Bergman – pronto!

"You remember how sick Danny and Kono were last year! And then the whole Kelly family! You all get those shots this year." The exasperated governor noted Steve's hesitant look. "I don't care what it takes! Get them there – bribe them if you have to. And that goes for you, too, Steve. I don't want the local criminals open for business while Five-O recovers from the flu. Not at Halloween!"

Steve got the message. He herded his detectives over to Bergman's office. The medical examiner was waiting for them, a wicked grin on his face, four needles lined up carefully on a tray.

"Kono, you're first," the medic snickered, "Just roll up your sleeve now. Trick or treat!."

Kono's eyes grew wide as he stared at Doc Bergman. "Dat's one big needle, Doc. Do I really have to? I'd rather get the trick. Dose shots ain't no treat."

"You really have to," the doctor grinned. "If you behave yourself like a good boy, I'll give you a lollipop!" Kono backed away as Doc raised the needle. "All right, two lollipops and a bag of candy corn. Now hold still!"

Dan's snicker erupted in the background. "C'mon, Kono. It's not that bad. It's just a little shot."

"You ain't had yours yet, Bruddah!"

Bergman's exasperation with the two detectives was reaching dangerous proportions. "How many times have you two been shot, knocked out, drugged, kidnapped, stabbed . . ." The list went on and on. "And you're afraid of a flu shot?"

"Last time you made me get one, I got da flu," was Kono's rueful answer. "I was sick for a week. Couldn't even eat anything much. And you shoulda seen da paperwork that piled up on my desk. Da stack was higher than Mauna Kea! Took me two whole weeks to finish it."

"You couldn't eat anything much?" Dan countered. " I saw you eat a whole pan of LeBeau's apple-macadamia nut strudel. And a half gallon of his home-made pumpkin ice cream!"

"Gotta keep my strength up when I get sick. Dat was just a little snack." He turned and pointed to his companion. "Danny, Bruddah, why don't you go first? Kind of like one of dose scientific guinea pigs."

Danny backed away. "It's your turn. You got here before me. Why can't we just have Dr. McCoy and his hypospray?"

"That does it. This isn't Star Trek." Bergman roared. "Resistance is futile! I'm calling in the big guns." He went to the examining room door. "Steve, Chin, get in here! These two are impossible."

The two remaining detectives peeked into the small room. Steve eyed the object in the physician's hand. "Doc, that's one big needle . . ."

_o-o-o-o-o_

_Everybody got their flu shots?_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hawaii Five-O belongs to CBS. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Blood Ties**

_By Shergar (also known as Cochise on Archive of Our Own)  
_

It was one of the most disturbing things Steve McGarrett had ever seen. The young woman stood there, clad only in a blood-drenched bikini and clutching a butcher's knife in one hand and a photo of Danny Williams in the other. "Take it easy," Steve soothed in a low voice.

"Don't worry," she replied, smiling brightly. "I was just making sure we had some blood ties."

The comment made no sense. McGarrett had no idea who this young woman was, or why she was standing in Danny's apartment, but the fact that Danny had been missing all day was making Steve grow more and more anxious. "Where is Danny?" Steve asked.

"He's my Danny," she replied, her tone possessive. "All mine. We are tied by blood." She licked her blood-splattered lips and staggered suddenly. She lifted the knife and Steve took an involuntary step back. "His blood; my blood. It's all the same now."

She crumpled to the floor without a sound and Steve moved quickly to kick the knife away from her, leaning over to make sure she was unconscious. "Chin! Kono! Get an ambulance, quickly!" He could see the cuts on her wrists now.

As the other two detectives hurried into the room, Steve got up, leaving them to do what they could for the young woman. His heart pounding, he hurried into the bedroom of the small apartment. The blood was splattered all over the bed and the walls, but there was no sign of Danny. Moving on, Steve headed for the bathroom. The door was shut and when Steve tried to open it, it refused to yield. He put his shoulder to it and the flimsy lock snapped. The door flew open and Steve saw Danny, slumped over the bathtub, his eyes closed.

The stench of blood was nauseating, but Steve ignored it, rushing over to his detective. "Danny?"

Opening bleary blue eyes, Danny made a half-grunt of a sound, acknowledgment that rescue had come. There was blood all over his face, chest and back. His jeans, the only item of clothing he wore, were saturated in it. He had wrapped a towel around his wrists, but the blood was soaking through it, too.

"I've got you," Steve told his friend, dragging Danny close to him and putting pressure on the bloody towel. "It's all right, Danny, I've got you."

"Boss?" It was Kono. He took in the situation at a glance and snagged another towel from the cupboard in the small hallway. With the extra pressure, Steve was relieved to see the bleeding finally slowing. Danny was slumped against him, his breathing shallow. Steve's suit was covered in blood, but he didn't care. "The ambulance should be here in a moment," Kono told Steve, his eyes never leaving Danny's pale, blood-streaked face.

It was touch and go, but Danny made it to the hospital alive and was whisked into surgery. The young woman was less seriously injured and was soon safely locked up on the psych ward. They would later find out that she had met Danny the night before at a bar. She had followed him home and broke into his apartment during the night. She had held him hostage all day before attacking him with the knife so that they would have the blood ties she so desperately craved.

"He's going to be fine," Bergman told Steve a couple of hours later. "We got the bleeding stopped and he's getting a transfusion now. It's a good thing you found him when you did."

"Can I see him?" Steve asked.

"Yes, come on. By the way, don't worry about the odd people you'll see in the corridors. It is Hallowe'en after all." Bergman sighed. "You'd think we saw enough blood every day without getting the fake stuff out as well."

Glancing down at the bag that contained his blood-stained suit, Steve grimaced. "I'll take the fake blood any day of the week," he told the older man as they walked down to Danny's room.

The young detective was lying sleeping on the bed. His face was pale but he looked better. Bandages hid the stitches that closed the wounds on his body and arms. Steve sank into the seat by the bed. "You're going to be all right, Danno," he assured his friend.

Smiling, Bergman left them alone. They might not have any 'blood ties', but there was no doubt that the two were ohana – family.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hawaii Five-O belongs to CBS. No copyright infringement is imtemded._

_**A.N. **__Thanks to "Book 'em Again" for the name of Chin's wife._

* * *

**Prince Charming**

by honu59

Just how did Chin talk him into this? One thing was for sure: he was going to remember this and Chin would owe him big time! Danny shifted uncomfortably in the itchy, overly warm costume. He poked his thumb inside the jacket and scratched where a label was irritating his chest.

"Oh Danny, you look so handsome!" Jenny exclaimed as she took a good look at the blushing detective who was regally dressed as a prince out of some fairy tale: red pants with a gold stripe running down the side seam and a powder blue coat with gold belt, buttons, stiff mandarin collar, fringed epaulettes and a medal pinned to the chest to top things off.

Danny shot the petite secretary an exasperated look and disappeared into his cubicle, away from the giggling that had spontaneously erupted. _The sooner I get out of here, the better! _

His thoughts were interrupted when Chin Ho poked his head in the doorway. "Ready to go, Danny?"

"Sure, Chin, let's get this over with."

Chin chuckled at his colleague's embarrassment. "Cheer up, bruddah, you've got a date with a beautiful young lady!"

o-o-o

The two detectives jogged down the grand staircase of the Iolani Palace and out the door to the parking lot. Soon they were on the road in Danny's LTD, headed for the Kelly residence. In the passenger seat, Chin loosened his tie and stretched out his tired legs. A couple of times he glanced over at the driver, but that only resulted in vain attempts to quell his laughter, so he kept his eyes on the passing scenery.

"Chin, you're going to owe me one," Danny finally remarked, irritated at the older man's amusement.

"I'm going to owe you? Look Danny, I'm the one taking your shift tonight. The only reason Steve let you off the hook is that you don't speak Chinese, and he needs a translator!" Chin said calmly but firmly. "Relax; it's not going to be that bad."

They arrived at Chin's modest home and walked up to the front door. When the door opened, the sight that greeted them completed turned around Danny's foul mood. There in the doorway, looking up at him with big brown eyes stood five year old Tilda, a vision in pink tulle and glitter, a tiny tiara fastened to her silky black hair with several bobby pins.

"Uncle Danny!" Tilda joyfully cried out, reaching her small arms up expecting a hug.

The young detective instantly fell under her spell and played along.

"Uncle Danny? No, I'm Prince Charming!" he responded seriously, taking the little girl into his arms.

"You're not a prince; you're a policeman like Daddy!" the youngest Kelly child explained.

"I _am_ a prince," Danny insisted, winking at Chin. "I work in a royal palace, so I must be a prince!"

Lin Kelly appeared from the kitchen and greeted her husband with a kiss and a sandwich packed to go for his dinner.

"Thanks, dear," Chin said. "The other kids already at church for the Halloween party?"

"Yes, and I'm all set for our trick-or-treaters," Lin replied, nodding toward the large basket of candy by the front door.

"Okay, I'd better get back. Steve will be waiting for me. Thanks again, Danny; take good care of my princess!" Chin said with a grin before he was out the door.

Danny turned his attention back to Tilda and gallantly bowed before her. "Are you ready to go trick-or-treating, M'lady?"

Tilda giggled at the prince's gesture and grabbed her pillowcase and flashlight. "Bye, Mommy!"

"I'll have her back well before midnight, Lin," Danny called on his way out as he reached down to take Tilda's hand.

o-o-o

By the end of the evening, Danny had indeed become Prince Charming, and he was more than comfortable with the role. He hung around until Lin had changed Tilda out of her costume and into her pajamas, teeth brushed, hair combed, stories read. Danny, still in his Halloween costume, tucked the sleepy little girl under the covers and kissed her on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Princess Tilda," Danny whispered.

"G'night, Prince Danny," she responded, yawning.

Danny looked down at his costume and smiled. This thing that had been so irritating that afternoon had become comfortable, and he would always have fond memories of this Halloween night, all because of the magic of a little girl's smile.

**Pau**


	5. Chapter 5

_Hawaii Five-O belongs to CBS. No copyright infringement is intended_

**LET THERE BE BLOOD**

_By Tanith 2011_

The glint of steel was reflected off the low over hanging light bulb while crimson smears stained her white undergarments, as the young woman's eyes scanned the room. "Come out, come out wherever you are, Detective," she said in a sing song voice. When her legs bumped against the modest coffee table, she looked down and with a cruel smile spreading across her pale face, she picked up the picture frame that housed a photograph of a handsome, sandy haired young man dressed in a suit. She laughed sardonically, before her attention was diverted to the door when a shadow moving beneath it caught the corner of her eye. Placing the frame face down on the table top and brandishing the butcher's knife in one hand, the young brunette walked toward the door. She curled the fingers of her free hand around the brass door knob. With a twist of her wrist she wrenched the door open then raised her knife welding arm high above her head, ready to plunge it into the young man who stood at the doorway with his eyes wide open in terror. Just as she brought her arm down, in one fluid motion the young man grabbed her wrist and pushed her back through the doorway. She fell back to the floor with a blood curdling scream. The young man fell on top of her and as they grappled for control of the weapon in her clutches, they rolled across the wooden floor boards. In the ensuing struggle the young man managed to push the point of the blade away from his body and continuing with his momentum brought the knife down until the metallic blade disappeared against the woman's chest. A sharp gasp was accompanied by heavy breathing as the two pairs of eyes locked on one another before the young woman's pale blue orbs rolled to the back of her head and she lay limply on the floor. Sirens could be heard nearby. The young man rose to his feet, his head hung low as all the lights went out and darkness cloaked him.

A moment's silence was followed by a thunder of claps and a chorus of cheers from the seated audience below the stage. The auditorium was once again illuminated as the bright lights bathed the hall and a spotlight zeroed in on the cast who held hands as they stood in a row along the length of the stage and bowed.

"So, what did you think?" Dan Williams asked as he leaned across a teenage boy who sat clapping enthusiastically.

"I'm glad I didn't bring my wife! She would have nightmares," Chin Ho Kelly replied as he dabbed his damp forehead with a handkerchief.

"I told you she's amazing!" Dan replied, with a wink.

"That was awesome, dad!" the teenager who sat between Dan and Chin exclaimed. He whistled shrilly drawing a wince from his father.

Chin tapped the shoulder of an auburn haired woman who sat on his other side. "Jenny?"

"Huh?" Jenny lowered her hands from her ears and opened her eyes as she turned to face the Chinese detective who addressed her.

"It's finished," Chin informed Five-O's secretary. A light chuckle escaped his lips.

"Oh!" with a sigh of relief, Jenny smiled then turned her head and saw to her confusion that the seat beside her was empty. "Where did Kono go?"

"He said he needed to go to the gents room," Chin replied.

"Right," Dan scoffed.

"Oh no, did I miss da ending?" Kono's out of breath voice called out as he raced back to his seat.

"Yeah you did, Bruddah. _Again!"_ Chin laughed.

"Admit it, you were scared! That's the third time in a row you pulled a disappearing act in Paige's shows. Last time you wanted to get a refill for your popcorn and what was your excuse the time before that? Wasn't it you had to make an urgent phone call to your uncle Moki?" Dan quipped loudly while Chin, Jenny and Tim broke into peals of laughter.

Red in the face the big Hawaiian stammered, "Dey were all true. I really did have a…ya know phone call I had to make to my uncle…"

"Kono, you don't have an _uncle Moki!"_ Dan cut in.

…

The four companions waited until the crowd in the theatre dispersed then headed for the back stage entrance. The door opened and an attractive young woman with startling pale blue eyes and a smile that revealed dazzling pearl white teeth greeted them. Her long silky brown hair cascaded past her shoulders over the white robe she wore.

"Paige, you were brilliant! I'd like you to meet Jenny Sherman and this is Tim, Chin's son," Dan made the formal introductions then wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Careful, I've still got make up on," Paige pouted and drew back from Dan then reached up with her index finger and wiped the red smudge on the tip of his nose.

"I don't care. You know, you're still beautiful to me," Dan whispered into her ear eliciting a giggle from his girlfriend.

"Say, can I have your autograph, Miss Meadows?" Tim Kelly nervously piped up, holding out a notebook and pen.

"Sure!" Paige said, blushing deeply.

"So when's your next show, Miss Meadows?"

"Please, call me Paige. My next one will be on Hallow's Eve. It's called, _Let There Be Blood_," Paige replied.

"Dere was plenty of blood in dis one too," Kono chimed in uneasily. The moment the words left his mouth, he wished he could swallow them back down.

All eyes turned to the Hawaiian detective's direction and laughter echoed off the theatre walls as the four companions engaged in another round of friendly banter.

Pau


	6. Chapter 6

_Hawaii Five-O and Hogan's Heroes belong to CBS. No copyright infringement is intended._

**NIGHTMARE WORLD**

Danny felt like he was swimming through thick fog, thick, pain-filled fog. An eerie silence surrounded him, filled his mind, numbed his senses, froze his heart. He reached out, feeling for something, anything. _Where is this? Why am I here? How . . .? _He had to define boundaries, discover where he was and how he got there.

He touched cold, concrete walls. The dizziness and disorientation increased. _A cellar? A tunnel? _He listened for a sound, any sound: the roar of surf, the rustle of trees in the trade winds, the blare of traffic, the shuffle of footsteps, anything, nothing. He wrapped his arms around himself as the cold dampness penetrated his aching body. _Aching? _He felt a trickle of blood meander down his face, discovered tender, bruised ribs. _Beaten? A prisoner? Where?_

He slid to the floor, huddled against the freezing wall, slipped into darkness. _Steve? Is he a prisoner, too? _No answers, only question after question, uncertainty after uncertainty.

A harsh voice pulled him back to reality, the sting of a rough slap serving as punctuation.

"Who is Papa Bear?"

Danny spat blood as a rabid Major Hochstetter backhanded him again.

"Bah! Sergeant Carter, once more: Who is Papa Bear?"

"I told you, I don't know. My name's Williams, not Carter!"

"Carter, Williams, I don't care. We have ways of making you talk." He motioned to another officer. "Put him in the isolation cells. When Papa Bear comes to rescue him, we will have our man."

The floor was frigid. Danny pulled himself upright, only to find his head swimming. He felt himself falling, a hand grabbing his shoulder . . .

"Danno! Wake up! That must be some nightmare! Go home!"


	7. Chapter 7

**SPIDER**

_**BY QDID**_

Eight long black hairy legs attached to the body as big as a silver dollar.

Crept from underneath the desk, guaranteed to generate a holler.

Everybody busy so no one bothered,

To see the cunning arachnoids' menacing presence.

As it scurried across the floor.

Destination in sight,

And in a hurry to deliver the fright,

The legs worked together

One after the other

Going higher and higher

Until the goal was within reach.

Unsuspecting and lost in thought,

Jenny shuffled the many chores her boss had brought,

Lifting one paper and then another

No time to shudder!

Hands flew up in defense,

Her face intense,

A scream piercing the air

And out of her chair.

The sounds of work came to a halt

As Jenny did vault

Into the arms of

Her dark-haired boss.

_**Pau**_


	8. Chapter 8

_Hawaii Five-O belongs to CBS. No copyright infringement is intended. Except for the names given in the series, the names of Chin's family members used in this story belong to the author._

**A VERY SPECIAL PUMPKIN**

_By_

_Book 'Em Again_

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the pumpkin my children had picked out. To say it was a large pumpkin was an understatement. If we hollowed the pumpkin out, Tilda easily could have fit inside.

There was no doubt it, if I took this pumpkin home, Lin was going to kill me.

The problem was there were eight sets of eyes looking at that pumpkin with wide-eyed delight.

"It's perfect, Dad!" Thomas Kelly shouted as he jumped up on the top of the pumpkin waving an imaginary sword. "Avast ye mates, this here be my ship and anyone who approaches will walk the plank."

"Don't be silly," Amy declared with the confidence of a six year old. "It's Cinderella's carriage!"

Tilda yelled, "Cinderella!"

Thomas exchanged a look with his older brother Gabriel who both simultaneously said, "Ugh."

"Mom did say to make sure we bring home a couple pumpkins that were big enough so she could make pumpkin pie," Alia reasoned.

Tim snorted. "We could make enough pumpkin pie to feed my whole high school with that."

"Not the way your friends eat," Alia teased.

Alarmed, Maria run forward and wrapped her arms around a side of the pumpkin. "Don't hurt my beautiful pumpkin!"

"We can't destroy Cinderella's carriage!" Amy added.

Recognizing that things were rapidly getting out of hand, I stated softly, "We haven't decided on this pumpkin."

There fight instantly forgotten, all eight children immediately turned and looked at their father. "Please, Daddy!"

My children had gotten too good at begging in unison. I swear they must practice or something.

Laying one hand on the pumpkin, I realized on thing: Maria was right, it was a beautiful pumpkin. "It's nice pumpkin," I admitted. "But it's too big and too expensive."

A collective groan rose from my children; that skill they didn't have to practice.

Suzy looked at the pumpkin thoughtfully. "Daddy, you said that we could pick out a small pumpkin each. What if instead of buying eight small pumpkins we agreed to buy this big one?"

"Yeah," a chorus of voices shouted.

I looked over at the three teenagers. "I know why your siblings want this pumpkin, but what would you do with it?"

Tim didn't hesitate. "We'd have the biggest pumpkin in the neighborhood! All my friends will want to see it."

"It's groovy," Alia said.

Suzy smiled. "I like it."

Tilting my head to side, I looked again at the pumpkin again. If this was the only pumpkin I bought it wouldn't much more expensive than letting the children each get one but that didn't solve the problem of my wife. Lin would not be happy to see a huge pumpkin sitting in their yard.

But Lin hadn't seen the smiles on their children's faces or the way their imagination was engaged by the sight of this large orange squash. In my mind's eye, I could see my children spending hours outside transforming the pumpkin into whatever they desired. It would be just like when the kids were younger and they had more fun playing with the box than the toy in the box.

My mind made up, I announced, "We can get it."

"Woohoo!" Gabriel hollered as the others added their own cheers.

The farmer was thrilled as we asked for help in moving the pumpkin into the back of the family van. The children chatted excitingly about their pumpkin. A joy filled me as I watched family bond over something so simple.

As I was paying for the pumpkin, I spotted a bucket of miniature pumpkins next to the teller and a memory from many years ago rose to the surface of my mind. Reaching down into the bucket, I picked out a pumpkin. "This one too."

The teller smirked. "Buying our biggest and our smallest today?"

I nodded and paid the man, placing my precious pumpkin in my pocket.

On the ride home the children decided that they wanted to surprise their mother and I privately thought that they didn't need to do too much to surprise her but agreed to park quietly and help the teenagers unload the pumpkin from the back.

Once the pumpkin was unloaded, Gabriel and Thomas raced inside the house to get their mother. The door reopened and I have to admit that I enjoyed watching my wife's face as she spotted the very large object now resting in her front lawn."Oh, my!"

Amy pulled on her mother's dress. "Isn't it amazing, Mom?"

"It's…" Lin hesitated. "It's big."

"I know," Thomas declared joyfully. "We got the biggest ever!"

Lin shot me a glare and I knew that I was in trouble. Leaving the children to enjoy their Halloween treat, I followed my wife to the kitchen. Deciding it was best to speak first, I explained, "The children loved it and are going to spend more playing with that pumpkin that then would have making jack-o-lanterns.

"But the cost," Lin protested.

"It was only little more than we would have spent originally."

Lin wasn't convinced. "And how am I supposed to cook it if the children are in love with it?"

I froze for a moment. I had forgotten that Lin was planning on cooking with a couple of the pumpkins. "Well…"

"You forgot."

"Yes," I admitted. "But I did get you a pumpkin."

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out small yet beautiful pumpkin that that nestled perfectly in the palm of my hand.

"Chin," Lin gasped. "It's just like the one you gave me in high school."

Smiling, I remembered that moment. I had been a young kid wanting to my girlfriend of a few weeks a present for Halloween. I didn't have much money so I bought the smallest and cheapest pumpkin I could. Lin had thought that it was so cute that she treasured the small gift, carrying it around for weeks.

"Do you remember what happened after I gave that little pumpkin?" Chin asked playfully.

"Of course," Lin replied as she wrapped her wrapped her arms around me and reenacted our first kiss. "Happy Halloween, my love."

Not wanting the moment to end, I kissed my wife back, amazed that after eighteen years of marriage the kiss was just as marvelous as it had been so many years ago.

Unknown to the kissing couple, outside an agreement had broken out between the boys and the girls over what the pumpkin should be when Amy noticed her parents in the kitchen. Gesturing towards the window, the young girl announced, "I told you it was a carriage. Cinderella's getting kissed!"

_**PAU**_


End file.
